Europa
Europa ve Boğa görünümlü Zeus
Europa and the Bull
Kunst-historiches Museum, Vienna, Austria
Europa, Fenike kralının boğa biçimine giren Zeus tarafından kaçırılan kızıdır.
Fenike kralı Agenor’un ya da onun oğlu Phoiniks’in kızı olduğu söylenir. Avrupa kıtası adını ondan almıştır.
Zeus görüp beğendiği Europa'ya ulaşmak için beyaz bir boğa kılığına girer. Europa'nın sahilde oynamasını fırsat bilerek kıza yaklaşır ve onu sırtına alır. Sonra yüzerek kızı Girit Adası'na kaçırır. Adaya vardıklarında Zeus gerçek görünümüne bürünür.
Europa Zeus ile birleşmesi sonrası üç çocuk doğurur; Minos, Sarpedon, Rhadamanthys. Dolayısıyla Girit’in Minos hanedanı Zeus’a bağlanır. Europa daha sonra Girit kralı Asterion ile evlenmiştir ve Zeus’un çocuklarına Asterion babalık etmiş, daha sonra da krallığını Minos’a bırakmıştır. Europa,Thebai kralı Kadmos ile Kilikya’ya adını veren Kiliks’in kızkardeşidir.
© Güneş İlhan, 10.05.2013, İstanbul
In Greek mythology Europa was a Phoenician woman of high lineage, from whom the name of the continent Europe has ultimately been taken. According to the Iliad, she is the daughter of Phoenix, but according to the common tradition she is said to be the daughter of Agenor (father of Phoenix).
The mythographers tell that Zeus was enamored of Europa and decided to seduce or ravish her, the two being near-equivalent in Greek myth. He transformed himself into a tame white bull and mixed in with her father's herds. While Europa and her helpers were gathering flowers, she saw the bull, caressed his flanks, and eventually got onto his back. Zeus took that opportunity and ran to the sea and swam, with her on his back, to the island of Crete. He then revealed his true identity, and Europa became the first queen of Crete.
Zeus gave her a necklace made by Hephaestus and three additional gifts: Talos, Laelaps and a javelin that never missed. Zeus later re-created the shape of the white bull in the stars, which is now known as the constellation Taurus.
Some
readers interpret as manifestations of this same bull the Cretan beast
that was encountered by Heracles, the Marathonian Bull slain by Theseus
(and that fathered the Minotaur). Roman mythology adopted the tale of the
Raptus, also known as "The Abduction of Europa" and "The
Seduction of Europa", substituting the god Jupiter for Zeus.
After
arriving in Crete, Europa had three sons: Minos, Rhadamanthus, and
Sarpedon, the three of whom became the three judges of the Underworld when
they died In Crete she married Asterion also rendered Asterius. According
to mythology, her children were fathered by Zeus.
Cited
from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_(mythology)
Güneş İlhan,10.05.2013, İstanbul